Boris Johnson’s resignation: public reacts to Prime Minister’s statement
Going outside to the stage No 10 for the last time Boris Johnson said it”pained” not giving him the chance to stay in the top job. After months of pressure and a intense 24 hours, he finally relented and agreed to resign. He said he was trying to convince his colleagues it would be “eccentric” to change leaders at this point, blaming the “herd instinct” in politics for his departure.
Johnson added that he would remain in office until the next leader and prime minister were found, a process already underway, and that a timetable for a leadership contest would be released next week.
As the UK rushes to digest the day’s events, reports in Europe suggest that at least part of the EU, as the BBC’s Katya Adler put it, “[is] rubbing hands happily.”
Mr Johnson has a long and complicated relationship with Brussels.
Once a fiery Europhilein 2016 he changed allegiances and hasn’t looked back since.
Boris Johnson: He and Emmanuel Macron have been hit several times in recent years (Image: GETTY)
Resignation: Johnson stepped down from his role as prime minister on Thursday (Image: GETTY)
What resulted was a series of tense clashes with EU leaders as he peeled the UK off the bloc, none more so than with French President Emmanuel Macon.
The pair, their countries so close but so far away in policy, clashed over issues of fishing rights, the English Channel, immigration and the use of the French language.
Here Express.co.uk takes a look at their top three skirmishes.
leaked letter
The UK and France were mired in a deadlock late last year over how to deal with a number of migrants crossing the Channel.
In November, the deaths of 27 people sparked widespread criticism of both London and Paris, with many accusing each leader of not taking the crisis seriously.
Mr Macron said Mr Johnson was not doing enough to help matters; Mr Johnson similarly pointed his finger at the Frenchman.
Things heated up when Mr Johnson shared a letter for Macron on Twitter outlining five steps he believes could help prevent another tragedy.
At a press conference days later, Macron expressed anger at the letter that was made public, saying: “I spoke with Prime Minister Johnson in a serious manner two days ago.
“For my part, I will continue to do that, as I do with all countries and all leaders. I am surprised by methods when they are not serious.
“We do not communicate from one leader to another on these issues through tweets and letters that we make public. We are not whistleblowers.”
A French government spokesman at the time said Johnson told the public one and officials the other.
They added: “We are tired of double-talking.”
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Emmanuel Macron: The couple had an often fraught relationship (Image: GETTY)
fishing licenses
Just before the Channel debacle, Mr Johnson and Mr Macron were at odds across the open water, this time over fishing licenses†
After the UK left the EU, new fishing zones were established, with some EU countries being told they could continue to fish in UK waters for a certain period of time.
Again France and the UK clashed, this time over the number of licenses granted to French boats.
Mr Macron claimed the UK was withholding licenses for French boats to fish in UK waters, and demanded more be approved.
At the time, British data suggested that Britain had so far granted about 96 percent of the fishing licenses requested by French boats.
France warned and threatened the UK it would impose economic sanctions if the problem was not remedied.
Johnson responded by ordering Royal Navy warships to patrol Jersey and the Channel Islands to ensure that no unlicensed French fishing boats are fishing in British waters.
The episode was soon ironed out, with more French fishermen eventually getting permits.
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Cornwall: the leaders pictured at the 2021 G7 summit in Cornwall (Image: GETTY)
Fishing row: France at one point refused a British ship to leave its docks (Image: GETTY)
“Give me a break”
In September 2021, Britain reached an agreement with the US and Australia and signed a trilateral security pact.
Under the Pact – known as Victims – the UK will now help Australia build and acquire nuclear-powered submarines in the face of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly the South China Sea.
However, Australia already had an existing contract with France to build such submarines.
At the time, Mr Johnson was visiting the US and told reporters he was “not trying to get anyone out of the way”.
Aukus: Tensions in the South China Sea sparked the Aukus Pact, much to Macron’s anger (Image: GETTY)
He said he and the other leaders were “a little surprised by the strength of the French response”.
Johnson then told Macron to say “donnez-moi un break” – “give me a break”.
While many received it as a throwaway phrase, others claimed it was a sign of Mr Johnson’s disrespect and a tantalizing way to address the French president.
Mujtaba Rahmandirector of the Eurasia Group, argued in a series of tweets: “Yes, Macron has reacted irritably at times. But there is no – repeat NO – special political gain for a French leader in bashing Britain. It is tabloid gold the other all the way around, as Johnson knew.”
‘Le bromance’, is how Johnson described their newfound relationship (Image: GETTY)
Newspapers across the board said it was a sign of a “deeper divide” between France and the UK.
Despite all this, Anglo-French relations seemed to revive last month after Mr Macron and Mr Johnson agreed to hold a new bilateral summit “sooner than later” – something that will no longer be realised.
Either way, it marked a shift in communications, with The Times reporting Mr Johnson jokingly calling their relationship “le bromance” and adding that they were “100 percent aligned” with Ukraine during the recent G7 summit in Germany.